ContiTech AG has continued to strengthen its position as a leading global manufacturer of belt drives with the acquisition of Taizhou Fuju Rubber Belt Manufacture Co., Ltd. in China.

The purchase forms part of ContiTech’s purposeful expansion of its drive belt business in China bringing into the organisation a 33,000-square meter production complex which was just completed at the start of the year. It also means 100 additional employees will be joining the ContiTech Chinese operation.

"This acquisition enables us to achieve further above-average growth in China," said Heinz-Gerhard Wente, Member of the Executive Board at Continental and head of the ContiTech division. He added "In a very short time frame, we are expanding our production capacities in China and strengthening our drive belt business unit."

From spring 2014 on, ContiTech will be manufacturing mainly V-belts and V-ribbed belts for the automotive OEM market, the automotive aftermarket, and industry in general in the acquired plant in Sanmen. The new facility is just 50 km away from the ContiTech plant in Ninghai, where belts for the automotive sector and for industry in general are manufactured.